Possessed: The True Story of an ExorcismA priest's diary, hidden for forty years in a mysterious locked room of a St. Louis mental hospital, has recently come to light, giving us the best-documented exorcism in history - the very exorcism that prompted William Peter Blatty to write The Exorcist. In August 1949, a story in the Washington Post caught the eye of Blatty, then a Georgetown University undergraduate: "Priest Frees Mt. Rainier Boy Reported Held in Devil's Grip", said the headline. The story went on to describe many of the bizarre and harrowing events that Blatty would later draw upon in his celebrated novel, The Exorcist. More than forty years later, the redoubtable Tom Allen has researched every fact and tracked down every living witness to the exorcisms of the Mt. Rainier boy: exorcisms that actually took place over a period of several months in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and - at last, successfully - in St. Louis, Missouri; exorcisms that required a Lutheran minister, a Catholic priest, and - in the end - a whole team of Jesuits in order to succeed. Allen's search began when a detailed diary mysteriously came into his hands, a diary kept by one of the Jesuits. But the evidence he has uncovered in his subsequent investigations is so shocking, so chilling, and so credible that it needs no hyperbole. Suffice it to say that as you read this book you will understand at last the force of the old maxim that truth is stranger than fiction. |
Contents
IS THIS YOU AUNT HARRIET? | 1 |
HUNTING A POLTERGEIST | 13 |
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL | 23 |
Copyright | |
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Alexian Brothers Archbishop Ritter archdiocese asked Aunt Harriet baptism bedroom believed Bishop Blatty Blessed Bober Bowdern and Bishop Bowdern began called Catholic Catholicism Christ Church commands thee cross cursing demon dern devil diabolical possession diary evil exorcism exorcist eyes Faherty faith Father Bishop Father Bowdern Father Hughes Fátima Georgetown Georgetown Hospital Halloran hand happened heard Holy Communion holy water hospital Hughes's Jesuit Karl Mannheim knew later Latin looked Lord Louis University Lutheran mattress Mount Rainier moved never Nicola night Nitka O'Boyle o'clock O'Flaherty Ouija board parapsychology pastor Phyllis Mannheim poltergeist Praecipio pray prayers of exorcism priest rectory relic Reppetti Ritual Robbie seemed Robbie's Robbie's body Robbie's parents rosary Satan Schulze Schulze's scratches screamed shouted sleep Society of Jesus spirit spitting talked theologian thou told uncle voice Walter Halloran Washington Widman William Peter Blatty words Xavier